Catatonia to split

Chart band Catatonia - whose singer Cerys Matthews was recently being treated at a clinic - have called it a day, it was confirmed today.

The band scored a number of top ten hits with tracks such as Mulder And Scully and Road Rage and the decision to split was reached "amicably", their record company said.

A statement from the band said: "We'd like to thank everybody who has supported us down the years, and given us a lot of great memories."

Matthews, 32, was renowned for her love of the showbiz party scene, but recently received treatment for "anxiety and exhaustion".

It led to the cancellation of the band's entire UK tour which has undermined promotion for their recently released latest album Paper Scissors Stone.

A spokeswoman for the band said: "They have thought about this for quite a while and they decided it was best to put it to bed.

"Their decision has been made entirely amicably, and there are no details at present as to their future plans."

Matthews is known to have written with friends in the music industry including Henry Priestman who was with late 1980s act The Christians.

But the spokeswoman said she had not been into the studio to work on solo material.

Gravel-voiced Matthews became one of the biggest homegrown names in pop in 1998 when the band - formed five years earlier - finally found chart success.

She went on to duet with Tom Jones but in 1999 problems became apparent when the band had to cancel a string of dates.

It later emerged that self-doubt had set in for the star and she found it difficult to sing live, which led to two years out of the limelight.

"Maybe it was depression," she said in an interview earlier this year.

Shortly before the band bounced back this year, Matthews checked into a clinic. Record company WEA explained she was being treated "for exhaustion and a recurrent asthma complaint - both of which have been exacerbated by drinking and smoking".

Guitarist Mark Roberts originally found the singer busking Jefferson Airplane songs and was so impressed he asked her to join the Cardiff-based band.